Back with our latest fantasy impact article, we take a look at Will Fuller taking his talents to Miami on a one-year deal. On the face of it, the deal seems perfect for both sides. Fuller gets to move away from what looks like a toxic situation in Houston, and Miami get to see close up how Fuller plays as the lead receiver.
Competition in Miami
Currently, the Dolphins roster is screaming for receivers. Fuller should step in immediately to being the primary receiver for the team. Miami has a mass of picks in the draft, so they could take a talent early.
However, currently the roster is made up of DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden Jr. among others at receiver. Without overlooking TE Mike Gesicki. Looking at the stats of the leading receivers on the roster from last year:
| Player | Position | Tgt | % Total Team | Rec | Yds | TD | aDoT |
| DeVante Parker | WR | 103 | 19% | 63 | 793 | 4 | 9.7 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 85 | 16% | 53 | 703 | 6 | 11.1 |
| Jakeem Grant | WR | 54 | 10% | 36 | 373 | 1 | 10.5 |
| Isaiah Ford | WR | 44 | 8% | 28 | 276 | 0 | 9.2 |
| Lynn Bowden Jr | RB/ WR | 37 | 7% | 28 | 211 | 0 | 5.0 |
| Preston Williams | WR | 35 | 6% | 18 | 288 | 4 | 14.5 |
| Mack Hollins | WR | 25 | 5% | 16 | 176 | 1 | 9.6 |
From that you can see there isn’t a real top receiver that is going to dominate targets. You can also see that the aDoT (Average Depth of Target) isn’t particularly high, other than Preston Williams.
There should be plenty of opportunity for Fuller to step up, if he is capable which brings us to a big question…..
Can Fuller Be A Top Receiver?
Individual Production
The thing is, Fuller hasn’t really had a history of being a primary receiver. In fact, in his entire career, he has only averaged just over 6 targets per game, but does he have the ability to lead an offense?
It’s hard to say either way if Fuller can be the lead target for an offense- as he just hasn’t done it in the NFL. With the Texans, he had DeAndre Hopkins as the team’s primary pass-catcher or operated alongside Brandin Cooks in a 1A/ 1B tandem. One thing is for sure, he has pace to burn with an average of just under 15 yards per reception in the league:
| Year | Games | Tgt | Rec | Yards | TD |
| 2020 | 11 | 75 | 53 | 879 | 8 |
| 2019 | 11 | 71 | 49 | 670 | 3 |
| 2018 | 7 | 45 | 32 | 503 | 4 |
Fuller has the raw ability to be successful when given the ball, but will he be on the field
Injuries
2020 was the first season that Fuller didn’t miss time due to injury (instead, he was suspended and will infact miss the opening Week of the 2021 season).
Fuller has an extensive injury list, and Sports Injury Predictor has his chances of injury at 99%, and estimates him to be missing for 5 games. Adding that to the suspension, that’s alot of (potential) time on the sidelines.
2021 Outlook
Fuller is one of those players that always seems to drop down draft boards, as players are worried about his ability to be on the field. This season, there is another bow to that worry. Fuller is in a new offense, and one that won’t be put in as many bad positions and need to air the ball out often.
I currently have Fuller just outside of the WR2 range (but let me be clear and say I’ve not stated out any of the rookies yet, as we don’t know the landing spot). Ultimately I think I’ll have him as a mid-range WR3 when I’m done with everyone.
For dynasty, it’s tempting to try and move him on with the hype of getting the opportunity of having him be a lead receiver. However, I don’t think you are going to find someone willing to spend more than a second round pick, given the change in offense and injury risk.
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Image Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports
